New Zealand skittles India for 34-6 at lunch on day two of the Test

Photo : PTI

On a challenging second day of the rain-affected opening Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, India's batting lineup faced relentless pressure from the visiting bowlers, collapsing to a precarious 34-6 by lunch.

Rishabh Pant remained unbeaten on 15 at the break, but the Indian team was in dire straits, having lost six wickets early in the session. The opening day was completely washed out due to rain, and although play resumed briefly, the conditions favored the bowlers, creating a seamer-friendly environment under the lights.

William O'Rourke was the standout performer for New Zealand, claiming 3 wickets for just 13 runs. The Indian team faced the prospect of collapsing to their lowest home total since a mere 75 runs against the West Indies in New Delhi back in 1987.

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India's captain, Rohit Sharma, who had won the toss and opted to bat first, faced a difficult start. He narrowly avoided a loud leg-before-wicket (LBW) appeal from Matt Henry early in the day. However, his stay at the crease was cut short when Tim Southee bowled him out with a delivery that sharply nipped back in, marking a significant breakthrough for New Zealand.

Things worsened for the hosts as they lost two more crucial wickets in quick succession, with both Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan departing without scoring. Kohli, batting at number three in place of the injured Shubman Gill, was caught at leg gully by Glenn Phillips after O'Rourke’s delivery moved back in towards his ribcage. Sarfaraz Khan followed suit, falling to Henry, thanks to a spectacular catch by Devon Conway at mid-off, leaving India in a dire position at 10-3.

Just after the rain delay, New Zealand almost had a fourth wicket, but a dropped catch by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell provided Pant a lifeline when he was on just seven runs. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal didn’t receive the same fortune; he was dismissed when a well-timed cut off O'Rourke went directly to Ajaz Patel. The impressive paceman then removed KL Rahul for a duck, compounding India's woes.

New Zealand's dominance continued as Henry dismissed Ravindra Jadeja for yet another duck, marking the fourth duck of the innings. The Indian batting order struggled against a disciplined New Zealand bowling attack, with the home side desperately seeking a recovery as they headed into the second half of the day's play.

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